New Fungi

New to me that is. But I didn’t find them. Being well plugged in to the local natural history group I hear about these things.

This is Fluted Bird’s Nest Fungi.  ( Cyathus striatus ).

The main body looks like very small cup cake cases. The tiny white “eggs”  ( called peridioles ) contain the spores. The eggs are shaped like tiny drawing pins. The force of raindrops is enough to disconnect them from the cup and fling them outinto the world. Usually they stick to neighbouring plants. Then as they decay the spores are released and swept away by the wind. Sometimes they are eaten by passing animals and distributed via its digestive system.

At the same time the parent cups are busy reprocessing dead wood.

Isn’t nature clever ?